God's Good Providence

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called

according to His purpose. -Romans 8:28 NKJV

In Christian Theology, “providence” refers to God’s good governing of all of His

creatures and all of their actions. There is nothing too great for God to entirely rule

over and control, so that it fully does all of His will in everything. Ask the sun, moon,

and all the billions of stars, which were created by God in a moment, and which go

and do only what he wants them to. And there is nothing so small that it does not—

in everything it is and does in every moment—completely carry out its part in the

plan of God. Ask one solitary sparrow as it flies across the meadow. The doctrine of

providence accentuates the absolute sovereignty of God over all of creation. There is

not a single rogue molecule in existence that does anything apart from the decretive

will of God. Emphasizing and fleshing out this sovereignty of God, in all of its

ramifications in scripture and in life, is the most prominent feature of Reformed

Theology. However, providence is not merely a crucial and over-arching point of

theological instruction. God’s providence is the greatest source of comfort in the

most trying of circumstances of life in a fallen world.

For the verse at the head of this article to be true, divine providence must be true.

But for providence to be true, divine sovereignty must be true. We say “God has a

plan.” What does his plan include? Everything. We say “God is in control.” What is

there that is not in God’s control? Nothing. God is in control of everything and God’s

plan leaves out no thing, for God is all-powerful and God is all-wise, and the creator

and sustainer of all things. Moreover, God is all-good. There is nothing in God that is

not perfectly and unchangeably good. God has never had less that a perfectly good

thought or intention. Therefore, as a believer saved by grace, you can know that Rom.

8:28 is true for you personally: God is causing all the things in my life to work together

for my real and everlasting good. This truth does not mean that everything in

believers’ lives is good, but it does mean that even the most evil, malevolent, and

harmful things that may come in your life in some way, can only, ultimately do you

good. The things themselves do not do this. God constrains, controls, and orders all of

their efforts and effects—even when they are intending only destruction—to in the

end bring about good.

It is because of God’s good providential sovereignty over all things that all believers

can say with Paul, “we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces

perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not

disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy

Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:3b-5). In God’s providence you were saved. In

God’s providence you are being sanctified. And in God’s providence you will

persevere to the end and enter into glory. Many things in life do not readily reveal

how God is ordering them for our good, but some things do. Today, as we celebrate

God’s providence in bringing about Providence Presbyterian Church, fifty years ago,

we can see so many examples of God’s goodness to us. It was an evil thing that God

used to bring about the birth of Providence: the theological decline and apostasy of

the mainline denomination. There were many hardships and difficulties that the first

members of Providence had to endure. Yet their endurance and perseverance

blessed so many, and became a witness and an example to even more.

Today we thank God for them and for all that He did in and through them that has

resulted in our own blessing today, with an even brighter hope for tomorrow. Many

churches are started for the wrong reasons, that is not the case with Providence.

They stood for the sake of the gospel and by God’s grace they were blessed. And now

we have entered into their blessing. Let us look to them as the examples before us

and let us press on toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. It is for

us to now put our shoulders to the wheel, to carry the load, to continue and advance

the good work they did before us. Let us give all the glory to God for every good

thing, and may our good and gracious God—entirely and only for the sake of our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—be pleased to ever more cause his face to shine upon us!